Freaks
Really liked this one! Buncha real true to life deformed and such carnival freaks, suspect that the leggy trapeze non-freak dame might just be scheming to get at the Main Midget's inheritance by luring him into marriage. They have good reason to, as there is really no redeeming qualities whatsoever to her, she's really a harridan. All real freaks were used, including some creepy looking microcephalics, a dude with no arms or legs (who can still strike a match and light a smoke!), a dude with just no legs, siamese twins, and assorted midgets and bearded ladies and such typical cirus fare of the time.

The gem of this show however is Frieda, the main midget (Hans) fiance who gets brushed aside for the trapeze artist. She's such a doll, and literally looks like a little Cabbage Patch Kid or something. She did a good job playing the stung beloved, and I felt bad for her! She's just too damn cute, you dont want to see her cry.
I liked it, anyone who wants to see a weird, albeit quite simple and predictable old flick needs to see this one. Plainly said, Freaks kicked ass!

Mad Love
I do believe this is the youngest that Ive ever seen Peter Lorre, and he's just as creepy back then as he is later on in his career, close shaved head and his bug eyes. Ive heard a lot about this one, and finally sat down and watched it, and was kinda underwhelmed. It's your basic "mad doctor obsesses over woman he cant have" and the inevitable murder and mayhem that surrounds such affairs. I dont blame him all that much, Francis Drake is really a beaut!

The "insanity sequence" where Lorre first officially starts losing his mind is done poorly in my opinion, although later on he cuts loose and it's pretty effective when they dont try and go all Twilight Zone or Hitchcock. Just let Peter do his thing, you know. Also, a main plot point, the notion of someone who has transplanted hands from a killer who threw knives suddenly starts murderously throwing knives himself is a little ridiculous even for me. That's saying a lot.

Overall not an overly bad film, but not a particularly good one either. Maybe it's just that I liked Freaks so much, and it was a tough act to follow.

— I dont dislike people - I just like them better when theyre not around